Review: The Original Konfidence Swim Jacket

The Original Konfidence Swim Jacket is packed with removable floats and lots of other cool features that help water-loving toddlers take their first strokes towards becoming full-on swimmers.

What’s right with it?

The brand name pretty much sums up what I think about this swimming jacket – the Original Konfidence Swim Jacket gives me confidence to let my little boy Sonny splash around in swimming pools or at the beach without constantly worrying he’s going to slip under the water. At 20 months old he’s still getting used to the water and is a long way from swimming by himself, so using this buoyancy jacket gives me added assurance.

Rather than armbands, I wanted a swimming aid that would keep Sonny’s arms free to help him develop strokes, and although we haven’t quite got there yet I’m confident this the Original Konfidence Swim Jacket will really bring him on as a little swimmer. He seems comfortable and relaxed wearing it and as a parent I love how easy it is to grip, so when I’m swimming with him there’s very little chance of it slipping from my grasp.

Features we love

The eight internal floats, which are designed to be removed in pairs as your child’s swimming progresses. Sadly we’ve still got them all in our jacket. Hurry up and start swimming, dude!

The position of the floats in the the Original Konfidence Swim Jacket means the buoyancy is placed around your child’s torso, which importantly is below the water line. Not something I’d really considered before, but seems a great design feature

Your child’s arms are kept free, which means movement isn’t restricted like it is with armbands

The chunky zip down the front that makes it easy for me to put it on and fasten it up, and Sonny hasn’t figured out how to open himself yet!

It’s 100% UV protective, so if you’re using the Original Konfidence Swim Jacket in the sun your child’s torso is fully protected

The soft neoprene material that seems snug and comfy, and for Sonny hasn’t resulted in any chafing

I can grip it really easily, so when we’re in deep water there’s little chance chance of Sonny slipping from my grasp.

There are seven funky designs to pick from. We went for Navy Blue/Palm

What’s wrong with it?

Honestly not a lot. The price is reasonable at £24.99 for a very high-spec piece of kit and I’ve been pleased with the performance of the Original Konfidence Swim Jacket, although we’re still using it at baseline novice level since Sonny can hardly swim at all yet. It all comes down to personal preference as to whether you’d prefer to use a jacket like this instead of the more traditional armbands approach, but we’re very happy with the choice we’ve made so far.

Outdoor Dad Verdict: The Original Konfidence Swim Jacket

Good price, good design, good performance and feels built to last. As a parent with a vulnerable little toddler who loves water but can’t swim yet, this gives me peace of mind and reassurance when we hit the beach or pool together.

HELLO

The smiley little dude on the right is Sonny and the big ugly guy on the left is his dad, Oli. This blog is all about our family adventures, plus we test the latest outdoor gear for kids so you don’t have to. We hope you enjoy it!